Togs Day

You know that you are on holiday when you spend the whole day in your togs.  You know you are well away from home when you are comfortable walking down the street or going to the supermarket in them! (With a shirt tossed over the top of course - togs, togs, undies)
Today, we once again reaped the benefit of having some insider information - especially at our first stop for the day as it isn't listed on any map or brochure we have picked up, but it is truly fabulous.  Also, it is not over-run with other people - we saw just enough on the hike in to know we were on the right path.  We trekked a little way through the bush on a path that was only defined by the feet who have walked it so often to create one and was sometimes a little precarious.  The smell was wonderful though, hibiscus and passionfruit smells mixed with bush smells - lovely.  After about 10 minutes you come out onto the lava rocks beside the ocean and you make you way around the tip of the penninsula with the waves crashing and swirling not far below.  There are lots of warning signs that the waves can crash up over the rocks and sweep people away, but the swell was relatively low and we happened to fluke a tide out time, so they weren't reaching up to us.
The point of the hike was to reach the Queens Baths, which are deep pools in the lava rock that the waves come up into, bringing fish and fun!  We heaps of fun jumping off the ledges into the pool and body surfing the incoming waves, as well as putting on the snorkeling masks to check out the underwater life.  It was WAY cool.
We eventually trekked back up the hill, reluctant to leave but keen to make our way back around the bay to a beach that we had been told would be great for snorkeling and would likely have turtles swimming around.  Along the way we stopped of at a local fish market for the local raw fish specialties.  Marinated Ahi tuna, octopus and snowcrab sushi - YUM.  I could eat it at every meal.  Sadly, some of the kids were not so keen on the idea, so we stopped at Hanalei Bay township as well so they could pick up some more familiar food.
About mid-afternoon, we found Tunnel Beach, where we were told there was great snorkeling.  Roadside signs are not permitted here unless they are for traffic management, so there are no AA type signs marking spots of interest.  If you didn't know to look for many of these places, you would just drive on by.
On the beach there was a single seal snoozing in the sun, he looked so comical just lying there among the people. The surf looked pretty rough but we saw others in the water - which is apparently the thing to look for - so we kitted up and headed out.  The fish-life on the reef was great, but the rip became really strong, especially as you got out a ways.  James Jnr was the farthest out and yelled out that he had seen a turtle, but nobody else managed to find him.  It became quite exhausting and we had just decided to gather everyone in and head back in when the choice was taken away from us by the lifeguard who  had arrived to call everyone in.  I was with Tim and he decided to stick his head under for one last look - and immediately popped up and told me to look.  Sure enough, right there with us was a turtle!  Woohoo!  He was about the size of a car wheel, just moseying through a channel in the reef that we happened to be stopped in.  We were so excited, but by the time we could tell anyone else, he had well gone and we had to go in.  It seems that there is a seasonal rip along this piece of coast, so not so safe to be there now.
We headed back to the hotel pool for some less strenuous water fun.  The pool here is just fabulous and not very highly used at the end of the day so it almost felt like ours.  Nibbles and a beer poolside in a beautiful place is a pretty great way to end a wonderful day.  The sun went down and we headed back to our rooms to make dinner.  I actually had a few body batterings today:

• Cut my ear on a palm while trekking to the Queens Baths - but would happily do the same again if it meant I could do that again
• Turned my ankle getting a snowcone in Hanalei Bay - but am grateful that the trip hazard that I missed was here and not on the edge at the Grand Canyon
• Bashed my knee on the reef at Tunnel beach - but saw a turtle!
• Took some skin off my nose and put a bump on my head when I hit my face on the bottom of the resort pool trying to do water ballet with Sarah, Dan and Tim - but had a great time hanging out and having fun with them

So, no complaints here, although I have to confess I'm pretty knackered, so I think it will be bed for me pretty soon - but, oh, what a day.